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Verizon Promises Droid Tethering
'Sometime in 2010...'
Verizon will open their stores early on Friday for the launch of the Motorola Droid, and so far, despite our fears, it looks like Verizon's done a nice job of staying out of the way of progress and not crippling the device in any way. One thing that is missing is tethering (the ability to use the phone as a modem), but according to Verizon, that should be coming in 2010. AT&T iPhone users are still waiting for the company to approve iPhone tethering, and AT&T has refused to give a solid date for when it will be implemented. Of course as with all Verizon 3G data plans, usage is quietly capped at about 5GB a month. You can expect to pay about $15 on top of the $30 data plan to tether when the feature drops sometime next year.
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Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Included..

IMO, tethering should be included with the data plan. Something like 3GB/mo. included, and then for an additional $15/mo. you can get a higher limit.

I don't use tethering a lot - but it's nice to use it occasionally, such as when my ISP goes down.
NeoandGeo
join:2003-05-10
Harrison, TN

1 edit

NeoandGeo

Member

Re: Included..

::didn't mean to reply to your post specifically, haha::

Or you can just do it yourself for free.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5 to Robert

Premium Member

to Robert
Tethering should be included at no charge if the 5GB cap is there and enforced. If you need more than 5GB/mo, then a plan should be available to add more GBs at additional cost. Tethering should be irrelevant in the age of smartphones that are computers anyway.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Included..

said by FFH5:

Tethering should be included at no charge if the 5GB cap is there and enforced. If you need more than 5GB/mo, then a plan should be available to add more GBs at additional cost. Tethering should be irrelevant in the age of snartphones that are computers anyway.
You are right - I was just trying to find a little more common ground.

If Verizon really wanted to make the Droid phone a true iPhone killer - they'd include the 5GB/mo. tethering for free with the data plan. That would make the Droid more flexible phone - and may force AT&T to offer include tethering too!
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned) to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

Tethering should be included at no charge if the 5GB cap is there and enforced. If you need more than 5GB/mo, then a plan should be available to add more GBs at additional cost. Tethering should be irrelevant in the age of smartphones that are computers anyway.
DING DING DING!!! WE HAVE A WINNAR!!!

Doesn't matter how the data is grabbed but that it is grabbed.

In fact, it should be no different than one of those plug in units for portable systems.

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC

Matt3 to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

Tethering should be included at no charge if the 5GB cap is there and enforced. If you need more than 5GB/mo, then a plan should be available to add more GBs at additional cost. Tethering should be irrelevant in the age of smartphones that are computers anyway.
Verizon told my friend today that he didn't qualify for the $30 data plan because "he accesses a secure Exchange server." So they won't let him downgrade from his $45/month plan. I said the same thing you did; why do they care, it's only HTTPS traffic and it's only 150MB a month?

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Included..

said by Matt3:
said by FFH5:

Tethering should be included at no charge if the 5GB cap is there and enforced. If you need more than 5GB/mo, then a plan should be available to add more GBs at additional cost. Tethering should be irrelevant in the age of smartphones that are computers anyway.
Verizon told my friend today that he didn't qualify for the $30 data plan because "he accesses a secure Exchange server." So they won't let him downgrade from his $45/month plan. I said the same thing you did; why do they care, it's only HTTPS traffic and it's only 150MB a month?
Just follows in to my contention that bills should be based on ACTUAL usage and NOT on WHAT goes over the pipe. Verizon hasn't learned that lesson yet.
dfxmatt
join:2007-08-21
Crystal Lake, IL

dfxmatt to Robert

Member

to Robert
doesn't matter. Android phone, will be easily rooted, and tethered whether verizon likes it or not.

Ben Pike
@cableone.net

Ben Pike

Anon

Root

...or you can just root (ie: hack) your phone and get free tethering... just sayin... G1 users have been doing it for a year now...

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

1 recommendation

morbo

Member

tethering should be included in data plans

Tethering really should be included in all data plans at the $30 level. Stop piecemealing and start providing already.
Major Tom
join:2002-04-05
Newark, DE

Major Tom

Member

Interesting

Here is what I was told by 2 reps at the store on Nov. 3rd. My current setup is 2 dumb phones & an air card for laptop. I was told that the Droid has a mandatory $30. data plan Both reps said that I can drop my air card and pay an extra $30. month to tether the droid to my laptop and use it as an air card. Now here is the twist...supposedly if I use the Droid only I have unlimited data but if I use it as an air card I have the 5GB limit. They said that verizon has a way of knowing when the phone is being used as an air card.

So here is what I am going to do....IF I can not tether the Droid for an extra $30. a month, and drop my current air card then I will NOT be getting the Droid plain & simple...I don't want to pay any more than I already am.

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru

Premium Member

Re: Interesting

said by Major Tom:

Here is what I was told by 2 reps at the store on Nov. 3rd. My current setup is 2 dumb phones & an air card for laptop. I was told that the Droid has a mandatory $30. data plan Both reps said that I can drop my air card and pay an extra $30. month to tether the droid to my laptop and use it as an air card. Now here is the twist...supposedly if I use the Droid only I have unlimited data but if I use it as an air card I have the 5GB limit. They said that verizon has a way of knowing when the phone is being used as an air card.

So here is what I am going to do....IF I can not tether the Droid for an extra $30. a month, and drop my current air card then I will NOT be getting the Droid plain & simple...I don't want to pay any more than I already am.
You probably have a 5GB per month limit on the air card already so you will not be losing anyhting.

Data for the Droid will be unlimited still, just like the blackberry, but the data used for tethering will be limited to 5GB. By the way they setup the tethering they can distinguish between the droid data and the tethering data.

Sounds like you will have to wait a little while before you can get the droid if you wish to drop your air card and tether. But that is not a bad things as it will give time for some of the issues to be worked out before you buy your droid.
Major Tom
join:2002-04-05
Newark, DE

Major Tom

Member

Re: Interesting

ropeguru...let me clarify...I was told the "tethering" option would be available Friday, Nov 6th.

We shall see on Friday !!!!

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru

Premium Member

Re: Interesting

said by Major Tom:

ropeguru...let me clarify...I was told the "tethering" option would be available Friday, Nov 6th.

We shall see on Friday !!!!
Got ya.. Somehow, given this report, I doubt that is going to be the case. But, whichever way it happens on Friday, you will have something to look forward to in the future. Just might be better to have to wait for some of the issues of the first units to be worked out.

Bill Neilson
Premium Member
join:2009-07-08
Alexandria, VA

Bill Neilson

Premium Member

Sounds good but I am not sure

why they don't just add the tethering onto the 5gig cap

Seems reasonable that if you wanted more than that, you could be asked to pay more
dynodb
Premium Member
join:2004-04-21
Minneapolis, MN

dynodb

Premium Member

Re: Sounds good but I am not sure

said by Bill Neilson:

why they don't just add the tethering onto the 5gig cap

Seems reasonable that if you wanted more than that, you could be asked to pay more
I suspect the concern is that people who tether are going to be using more bandwidth than people who don't.

Most smartphone users probalby won't come remotely close to the 5GB cap in a typical month. Someone who tethers would be more likely to do so, meaning higher average bandwidth per subscriber.

That there's a 5GB cap doesn't mean they expect everyone to use 5GB/month.

grydlok
join:2004-01-06
Richmond, VA

grydlok

Member

Tethering what about ther price for exchange support

Once they figure out of they are going to charge for exchange support maybe they then Verizon can give a rate for tethering.

»www.wired.com/gadgetlab/ ··· xchange/

»www.pcmag.com/article2/0 ··· 9,00.asp
papeluv
join:2008-01-08
Decatur, AL

1 edit

papeluv

Member

Re: Tethering

Teathering? Thats been going on for some time now on VZW. Ive been using my Touch Pro 2 with the internet sharing program, not the verizon access manager crap, for over a month on this phone. With out the extra $15 a month on top of the email and web for smartphone plan.
nltech
join:2007-06-13
West Haverstraw, NY

1 edit

nltech

Member

We need more competition

The costs for these data plans are outrageous considering the caps, spotty service, no tethering and crappy pings.

I hope someone with deep pockets like Google launch their own national wireless. Sprint might be able to do it. They are losing so much money and bleeding subscribers they could at least try to compete by lowering the price of data plans.

podstolom
@kanren.net

podstolom

Anon

Tethering on VZW

If the Droid data plans are the same as the other smartphone plans, then tethering through VZW will be $15 on top of the $45/mo plan, or $30 on top of the $30/mo plan, each with a 5 Gig cap on the tethering. Their rationale, stinky though it is, is that it should total out to the same $60/mo it costs to put a USB modem on your computer. Ouch.

Why do they care where your data goes? Exchange Server? Laptop? Up your dog's butt? Because it is something they can MONETIZE with surcharge and MORE surcharge up the whazzo.

I agree with the other posters here, tethering should be included at no extra charge with the data plans. Where you pipe your data should be your business alone, not the perogative of the wireless provider for the sake of additional profit.

kingkarl
@windstream.net

kingkarl

Anon

Re: Tethering on VZW

my thoughts exactly ......and your right

FastiBook
join:2003-01-08
Newtown, PA

FastiBook

Member

If my ISP....

If the service is shut off for work or repairs, i just use 3G. Wouldn't tether unless i -had- to use my portable/desktop, which wouldn't happen.

- A